A Journey of Destiny
by N'Isil
Summary: When destiny takes a strange twist for an isloated elf. Mia must drop her family, and journey forth to save Middle Earth from certain fate. (rating is for later on) Probably a Haldir/Oc fic
1. The Man of Destiny

Disclaimer: I did not write Lord of the Rings (as everyone knows) and claim no ownership to any of the characters or anything else J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about, so, enjoy  
  
  
  
A/N- This is my first fic, so can you guys tell me what you think of it?? And, it will be a Legolas fic, but its going to take a while for me to be able to work him into the story, so be patient!!!  
  
  
  
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The sun dawned over the tall pines as Mia Galadhremmin gazed longingly towards the tall mountains in which Rivendell was sheltered. Mia, being only 500 years old, was relatively young for an elf, but the years seemed to weigh more heavily on her, for she had responsibilities and elf of 2000 would not yet be burdened with. She longed to be out exploring, traveling the wilderness surrounding her home, or even hunting the occasional yrch or cave troll found in the forests.  
  
A voice, weak and lifeless, drifted over to her, calling her back from her day-dreams, and into the reality of her life, her responsibility of caring for her five siblings, all younger, while her mother lay on her death bed, dying of a broken heart. "Mia. Take Fimbrethil to the field yonder where he may practice his archery. He needs to greatly improve on his skill if he wishes to journey to Rivendell, in hopes of a position as a guard.  
  
Mia sighed as she unfolded her lithe body, and rose, her dark raven colored hair trailing down her body. She was unlike all other elves she had met, both in appearance, and attitude. Her mothers hair was a beautiful golden blonde, as was the hair of all in her family excepting her, and their eyes were a bright blue, shining with warmth and friendship, so unlike her own icy green eyes, which showed in them incredible courage, and pride. Her gaze was so startling, that all who looked in her eyes would back down, and not maintain eye contact as they would with other members of her family.  
  
'Why is it that Fimbrethil is allowed to train and journey to Rivendale, while I, who is by far the better archer, and can hit a target from 50 meters, is not even allowed to hold a bow?' Mia thought to herself as she stalked out of the open door, snatching her brother's bow and a quiver of arrows off the rack, calling angrily for her brother.  
  
'Hmm..he's improved.' She thought idly, watching as her brother hit the bull's-eye for the second time in ten minutes. She longed to grab her brothers bow, and show how to aim correctly, but that would surely tell her mother that she had disobeyed her, and vanished into the secret depths of the forest to practice archery. She could feel the strength of the gaze her mother had turned onto them, through the solitary window in the cottage, the one that just happened to be located in her mother's room, facing the field.  
  
"Mia. A man just walked through our gate." Fimbrethil warned her urgently. He spoke quietly, but she could hear the fear and mistrust in his voice at the sighting of a man. Mia herself had only seen men twice, from a distance both times, and she too was startled at seeing the strangers presence in her yard. Being outright, and not at all timid, Mia walked to the stranger and bowed, feeling, for some strange reason, that that was the correct thing to do.  
  
"Good day stranger, I am Mia Galadhremmin, and this here is my younger brother Fimbrethil. May I enquire as to what your business is in this part of the woods? For it is far from any villages or towns."  
  
"Milady," the foreigner began, his voice carrying a far away accent, "I am Brithandil, and I have coming seeking you, for I am a Man of Destiny, and it is high time for you to learn yours, for you have an important part to play in the next century!"  
  
Mia gazed in astonishment at the man, blocking his path to the house, wary incase of a trick. After studying his face for a moment of two, and seeing only good intentions written there, Mia turned aside and gestured for Brithandil to follow her. She walked swiftly down the path, heading for her mothers bedroom, and was somewhat surprised to see Brithandil keeping up to her swift pace. She was even more surprised when he appeared to recognize her mother, bowing before the shape hidden under many layers of covers.  
  
"Milady Vanima."  
  
"Welcome Brithandil. It has been a long time since you last came this way, forty years at least." Her mother sounded alert, more alive, in Mia's ears, then she had been for centuries. She gazed between them, not knowing what to make of the friendship between her mother and the man who had just arrived, speaking of destiny. "What brings you here? For you have a troubled look upon your face." Mia's mother queried.  
  
"Your daughter Mia was born five-hundred years upon this day with a destiny. Now the time has come when she B MUST /B follow the path it leads her on."  
  
Mia was startled, for she had forgotten it was her birthday, and was surprised that Brithandil should know of it, when she herself had forgotten. She longed to ask him many of the questions adrift in her mind, but she caught a slight glimpse of the glare her mother had directed towards her, and held her peace.  
  
"Mia, you are destined to do great things in a time when evil corrupts the hearts of all, and the world is in peril of falling under the control of the evil lord Sauron. On the eve of the morrow, a hobbit will be born to Primula Brandybuck and Drogo Baggins, and he will be called Frodo. Frodo Baggins. It is his destiny to end the reign of Sauron, and, thus he must be protected at all costs to you. This is your destiny. You must protect the hobbit, risking everything you have to save him, for if you fail, so will he, and Sauron will grow stronger. If this happens, it will no longer be in our power to defeat him, an we shall all die."  
  
"What must I do?" Mia heard the words slip out of her mouth, and was astonished. How could she accept this without questioning it? Her head asked, but Mia knew in her heart that she must listen to Brithandil. She would risk her life for the hobbit on whom the world depended, she would protect him or die trying.  
  
"Travel fast, pack as little as you need and hurry to the shire. Be wary, evil has started to lurk in places of darkness, and orcs have started to show up in the oddest of places. They are being awoken by the presence of Sauron's will, and will only become more frequent as time passes. When you reach the shire, you should have little or no problems slipping in, for it is not guarded as few creatures know of hobbits, and if they do, have not interest in them. Hobbits are trustworthy people, but they have a tendency to gossip. Do NOT let them see you, or you will be the subject of gossip for years, which we do not want to happen. Now, of course it would be impossible to guard Frodo without knowing him, so, when you arrive visit Primula and Drogo's burrow. They are solitary, unlike most hobbits, and will take you in, without gossiping amongst their neighbors. It is there you will remain for almost 50 years. It is at this point when Frodo will set out with a company on a dangerous quest. Follow carefully and closely, keep hidden, do not let any of them see you, but you must keep them safe. Remember, always place your trust in your heart, your head will deceive you, but your heart will always know what to do. When you are in doubt, ignore your head, and follow your heart instead, down whatever path it may lead you. Now be off, for you have a long way to travel, and if you delay, you are unlikely to ever set of again." And with these last words, Brithandil turned and walked out of their cottage, setting off down the road with a determined step.  
  
Mia shared a tearful farewell with her mother, entrusting her well being to Fimbrethil, knowing that it might be the last time she saw her mother again. Then hurriedly stuffing a small pack full of clothing (breeches borrowed from her brothers mainly) food, and drink she set off, knowing that Brithandil's words were true, if she did not leave then, her heart would not let her leave at all. She grabbed the beautifully carved bow she had made herself in secret, and a quiver of arrows from their hiding place in her bedroom, and set off into the wilderness, her hair flowing out behind her like a cape.  
  
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Review!!! Review!!! Please! Should I go hide under a rock and stop writing? Or should I finish this? I need your opinion!!! 


	2. The Hobbit's Hole

Disclaimer: Everyone knows I didn't write TLOTR (I'm not that much of a genius) or any of the chararacters in it  
  
  
  
Mia shivered, chilled to the bone, shaking in her drenched cloak, and looking remarkably like a drowned water rat, was standing outside of a short, surprisingly thick wooden doorway, drawing her courage together, she raised her fist and pounded on the door, quite startling the hobbits within.  
  
After traveling for over a fortnight to reach the shire, Mia was tired and lonely, for she had paused to rest only when she was at the point of exhaustion where she would trip over every miniscule stone or twig lying in her path. She had met no one on her journey, not even a stray orc wandering through the forests, and was at the point where she was almost willing to talk to herself, for she had never been longer away from her family then a day.  
  
"Yes? Hello? Who's calling at this hour? We've just sat down for supper," a high pitched voice shrilled at her from the other side of the door as Primula Brandybuck hurried to see who it was pounding on their door.  
  
Mia gaped in astonishment when the door opened fully to reveal Primula. 'She's only a few feet tall! Almost half the size of Fimbrethil, and he is short for an elf! These must be the legendary, or not so legendary, halflings I read of in the volumes mother keeps in the storage room!' thoughts ran wildly through Mia's head as she looked in bewilderment down on Primula.  
  
"Well now! An elf. Imagine that. We haven't seen one of you for ages! Come in, come in, you must be hungry after such a journey, and we have plenty to share."  
  
Mia soon found herself being hustled in, being careful of her head (after the first time she hit it on the ceiling) as she walked, still in shock of the woman walking in front of her. 'How does she talk so much? And so unsuspicious too! Truly, hobbits are an all together different race from men and elves!'  
  
"Drogo! We have company! Set another place at the table while I get a room in which our guest may pass the night."  
  
"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Mia suddenly remembered her manners, "If there is a place in which I may set my bow down and change into dry clothing, I will be in your debt."  
  
"Oh you poor dear, your soaked. OF course, go change in Frodo's room. He's such a beautiful babe, and only three weeks old! Such a sweet, sweet child…." Here Primula's voice trailed off as she thought of Frodo, "Oh yes, its down the hall, the first door to the left!" she said suddenly, breaking through her trance.  
  
Mia thanked the hobbit again, and walked towards Frodo's bedchamber. 'What will he be like? The child that I must risk my life to protect, am sworn to guard, the child that will be the savior of Middle-Earth,' Mia pondered, her heart racing at the thought of seeing Frodo for the first time.  
  
When she opened the door quietly, and gazed upon the tiny Frodo, she was disappointed, for he looked no different from any other child, and was sleeping quietly in a crib made of polished willow.  
  
After drying off, and changing into the one dress she had had the foresight to bring, an emerald green, bringing out the color of her eyes, Mia went to join Primula and Drogo for supper.  
  
They were polite and gentle, and when they discovered Mia needed a place to stay, they offered her a room, and the job of watching over Frodo while they were both out working.  
  
It was in this quiet hobbit hole that Mia would spend the next 33 years. 


	3. The Party

Disclaimer: I DON"T OWN LORD OF THE RINGS!!! OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN IT (although I wish I owned legolas….)  
  
  
  
  
  
33 Years Later  
  
  
  
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Mia had the same appearance as she had 33 years ago, when she had first arrived at the burrow of Primula and Drogo. After their unfortunate deaths several years ago, Frodo had moved to stay with his uncle Bilbo at Bag End in Hobbiton, Mia had soon inhabited a small grove of pine trees nearby, for although she was Frodo's dearest friend, she had kept her promise, and not revealed herself to any inquisitive hobbits, including Bilbo.  
  
Mia was presently sitting with Frodo talking of his upcoming 33 birthday, his coming of age, which he would share with Bilbo, who was celebrating his eleventy-first birthday on the same date.  
  
"Are you excited? Thirty three is a special age, after tomorrow you will no longer be see as a child!"  
  
"Of course I am!" Frodo exclaimed joyously, "After watching Bilbo order everything it would be impossible not to be! This will be the biggest party the Shire's ever seen! Even Gandalf is coming!"  
  
Mia grinned at the hobbits enthusiasm, his whole face was lit up, and he was bouncing around like a rubber ball, unable to hold still.  
  
"You will come won't you?" Frodo asked worried, for Mia had forbidden him from telling anyone of her presence, although she had given him no reason for it, "You are never able to come! And this is so important!" he pleaded, already knowing the outcome.  
  
Mia felt her face fall, for although she wanted desperately to be there, she knew she must remain hidden. If she was ever revealed, she would be forced to leave the shire, and as she had already saved Frodo's life twice, she knew that that would be a disaster.  
  
"I'm sorry Frodo," she finally replied, with tears in her eyes, "but I will be nearby and watch the celebrations. And this is for you, an early birthday present if you will," she stuttered as she handed him a small package.  
  
Mia watched as Frodo opened the parcel, 'What if he doesn't like it? If it isn't good enough?' doubts running wildly through her head, but soon vanished at Frodo's expression of glee when the package was finally undone and he looked at the small object that lay in his hands.  
  
"A pipe! My very own pipe! And with carvings on it that could rival the ones on the pipe Bilbo stole from the dragon on his adventure!"  
  
Engraved upon the pipe were scenes from Frodo's life: being chased across the fields for stealing a carrot, boating on the river, a young hobbit (Frodo) eating breakfast, and on the stem, his name was carved deeply, and polished lovingly until the wood glowed a deep, rich brown.  
  
Mia was surprised when Frodo threw himself onto her, crying "Thank You! Thank You!" repetitively; that she stepped backwards and almost fell flat as she tripped over the log that lay behind her.  
  
Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around Frodo, and hugged him back, laughing at his delight.  
  
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Mia sat perched on a tall tree overlooking The Party, her feet swinging from side to side as she sat, happily watching as the old man with a long gray beard and robes, that Frodo called Gandalf, set of fire-works. She had never seen such strange contraptions before, and loved them deeply; great explosions of pink and blue brightened the sky, hundreds of little tiny lights. Of course, her favorite was a fire work of a large, red dragon swooping down on the tables, all the hobbits ducked, cowering under the tables, while Mia laughed as she saw the dragon swoop high into the sky and burst with a loud bang into a shower of multicolored lights.  
  
'Oh how I wish I could drop out of my hiding place, and join in the celebrations,' Mia thought wistfully as she watched Frodo and his best friend Sam dancing with a pair of young hobbit ladies. 'What would it be like to dance with someone? Have them hold you in their arms? For that is something I man never know, for my destiny forces me to stay aloof, and I fear that once Frodo sets off on his quest, I will not go back to my family, for I fear it is on that quest that my life will end.'  
  
"Speech! Speech!" The hobbits spread beneath her tree called loudly and raucously for Bilbo to give a speech. 'his should be amusing,' thought Mia as she settled down to listen to what Bilbo had to say.  
  
"I shall not keep you long! I am immensely fond of you all, and eleventy- one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Mia chuckled at this, noticing the puzzlement of the other hobbits, not knowing whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. "It is my birthday, or should I say, OUR birthday, for it is also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo, who comes of age and into his inheritance today. I regret to announce that – this is the end. I am leaving NOW. GOODBYE!" And as Mia leaned forward in surprise, she caught a glimpse of gold with her far-seeing elvish eyes, before Bilbo disappeared. Worried, and an little puzzled, Mia slipped out of the tree and ran silently to Bag End, for she knew that Bilbo would surely go there first. Hiding stealthily outside of an open window, Mia waited. It wasn't long before her intuition proved to be right; Bilbo appeared, with the wizard Gandalf close on his heels.  
  
Even with the acute hearing of elves, Mia was unable to hear everything, but caught the basic gist of the conversation. Bilbo had a ring of some power, which seemed to slowly be corrupting his mind; he talked of going on a journey, leaving the house to Frodo along with all of his possessions. For some reason Mia could not at the time comprehend, Gandalf seemed passionate about his desire for the ring to remain with Frodo. It was at this point that the voices got to low for Mia to comprehend, and so, when Mia saw Bilbo leave out the front door-minus the ring- she withdrew, worried, for she knew the ring was far more powerful than even Gandalf guessed. And so she doubled her vigilance as she waited for something to happen, practicing continuously with her bow, daggers and a short sword. Preparing for everything and anything.  
  
And so the years passed, and it was near Frodo's 50th birthday that Mia saw Gandalf gallop in, and expression of fear written plainly across his face  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
REVIEW!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!! 


	4. Setting Out on a Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (in fact, I think the extent of my property is a bunch of teddy-bears, a few models and a disc-man....) DON"T SUE ME!!!!  
  
Thanks for everyone who reviewed, if you haven't PLEASE PLEASE DO!!!!!!  
  
I'm sort of alternating between the book and the movie here. Ive done more of the movie, because its easier to write, and more people know it then the book, but I couldn't resist putting some bits from the book in, like Tom Bombadil, who, they unfortunately left out in the movie, but as I have lost the book (oops....) I think most of my details are a bit off......  
  
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Chapter IV  
  
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Mia was in the forest, practicing her archery on a tree, when Gandalf rode in for the first time since Frodo's 33^rd birthday. Worried, Mia dropped her bow, and sprinted after his horse, heading towards Bag End.  
  
She crept on silent feet into the house, and hid quietly in the little used dining room, knowing no-one would venture in, but, to remain on the safe side, crouched behind a large plant pot and settled in to listen.  
  
"Where is the ring? Is it hidden? Is it safe?" Gandalf's voice was full of fear, and he glanced nervously around the room far to frequently.  
  
"It is here.: Mia heard Frodo reply as he rummaged around in a large trunk, "What are you doing! That's Bilbo's ring! Do no put it in the fire!" Frodo's voice, high, shrill and worried came to the sensitive ears of Mia as she strained to hear the conversation going on in the kitchen, several rooms away.  
  
"Hold out your hand, it is quite cold." After a moments hesitation on Frodo's behalf, Mia hear the ring fall into his hand, then Gandalf's voice came again, urgently, "can you see anything? Is anything there?"  
  
"No I can't see anything," Gandalf walked away slowly, "No... wait, there is writing. I cannot read it."  
  
"It is the language of Mordor." Mia's gasp when Gandalf said this was loud enough that had Gandalf not been speaking, she would have been caught. `Mordor! A land of waste, of ruin. What does this have to do with Frodo?' "I will not speak it aloud here, but in the common tongue, it says `One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.'"  
  
Mia's breath stopped. She, like all other young elves, had heard about Isildur, and the Kings of Gondor as a young child, and, like everyone else, believed them to be myths. `It's not possible! The ring doesn't exist! And if this is true, why, how, did an innocent hobbit like Frodo come to be chosen as its bearer? At least, I now know why I have been sent to guard this innocent child.' For, in Mia's eyes, Frodo was still a child, a small, innocent being.  
  
"You must go! Leave quickly, for they are looking for you. Go. NOW!" Mia's trance was ended with the sudden desperate need to draw air into her deprived lungs. She jolted when she heard a small rustle outside the window close to her. It was obvious Gandalf and Frodo had also heard it, for they went deathly silent, and soon Gandalf walked carefully into the dining room, and Mia was immensely grateful that she had thought to hide. With a swift, fluid motion, Gandalf thrust his staff deep into the bushes growing outside of the window, and a loud thunk! was heard by all as it connected with somebody's head.  
  
"Samwise Gamgee! Where you eves-dropping again?" Mia grinned in amusement as Frodo's best friend was drilled for answers. Nothing more important would be said that night, and so she rapidly scanned the room for a way to escape, for it was obvious that Frodo would be leaving sometime during the day, and she needed to follow him. And, as she planned to be ready to go with him, she would need sometime to grab all her stuff together.  
  
When the three turned back into the kitchen, Mia, with feet that seemed to float above the ground, soundlessly slipped out the still open window, with no one in the house any wiser for her presence.  
  
Skipping down the narrow, winding path, excitement coursed through Mia's lithe body, `Finally, to be off on an adventure! Leaving the shire, traveling through distant lands, following little used paths! The shire will always be dear in my heart, but I do not belong here, I belong in a place off adventure! Where I can run free, exploring distant forests! Oh how I miss the forests! The birds and squirrels chattering in the trees, the rustle of the tall oak trees in the breeze!'  
  
She ran joyfully into the clearing in which she had made her home, thoughts of forests dancing through her head as she grabbed her weapons- a hand made bow and quiver of arrows, a short sword- a birthday present from Frodo, and two shining, silver daggers which had been her mothers parting gift to her over 50 years before. Grabbing a small knapsack, she stuffed a spare pair of breeches in it, a few bits of food - some apples, a few vegetables, herbs, and roots- all normal food for her, as she had been unable to buy anything from the market, and her culinary skills were nowhere near as good as a normal elf's.  
  
Scarcely ten minutes later, the figures of Sam and Frodo could be seen traveling through an open meadow, away from the shire. A trained eye, looking carefully, would just be able to make out the shape of a strange shadow, remotely resembling a woman, folsowing behind them at such a distant to be in time to reach them incase of danger, but far enough away, the unwary travelers would be able to see her.  
  
Having to go far behind the hobbits while they traveled in open fields, caused Mia a slight moment of panic when they reached a field in which tall stalks of corn grew, dwarfing the hobbits, and hiding them from her view. Quickly picking up her pace, Mia sprinted to the place she had last seen the hobbits, and was relieved to see that the hobbits path was well marked by their wide feet in the thin layer of mud clinging to the earth.  
  
Mia turned the bend in the path she was following sharply, just in time to watch two strange hobbits come crashing through the field, and crash, one each, into Frodo and Sam, their arms laden with vegetables. Becoming instantly alert, she watched cautiously for a few seconds before deciding the strange hobbits would not harm Frodo, and relaxing.  
  
"Look! Its Frodo and Sam! Hello Frodo!" the hobbit, Peregrin Took by name, exclaimed.  
  
"Why so it is!" Merriadoc Brandybuck, the second hobbit joined in.  
  
"GET BACK HERE! You little thieves!" an angry voice bellowed across the field, and the four hobbits paled in fear while Mia, alert once more, was ready to dart in and save Frodo.  
  
"Run! Its Farmer....." Pippin's sentence broke off as he started running furiously, scattering vegetables in his wake.  
  
To Mia, standing in the shadows and observing the four hobbits, the situation was quite amusing. Following behind them quickly, she chuckled softly when all four hobbits tumbled off the ledge of a small hill and tumbled in a tangled heap of hobbits to the road below.  
  
Her grin however, vanished rapidly as she heard the hoof-beats of a horse. Moving quickly towards them in a gallop. `Frodo! Where is he! He can't stay on the road! Whoever's coming towards us at this pace probably doesn't want to invite him for a cup of tea.' There was no time for her to reach the hobbits, so all she could do was hope they realized their danger in time, before the mysterious rider arrived.  
  
It was with relief that she saw Frodo drag them away from the mushrooms they had just found, and made them hide with him off to one side of the road, hidden from view by a large tree and its roots. Almost as soon as they had hidden, Mia saw the rider, cloaked entirely in robes of flowing black, come into view and slow his horse down as he neared the area in which the hobbits were hiding.  
  
Mia shivered, there was an aurora of evil surrounding the rider that was very apparent to her. She soon noticed the quietness, the stillness of the area. `Where are the birds and animals? It is the middle of the afternoon still! They should all be out searching for food. What is this creature that sends fear so easily into the hearts of animals and elves alike?'  
  
In horror, her body frozen to the spot, she watched as the rider dismounted heavily, and slowly, putting iron clad foot in front of iron clad foot, make its way towards the hiding place of the four hobbits, sniffing. `It must have no vision!' the part of Mia's brain that wasn't frozen by the appearance of the black rider thought reasonably, `or why would it use its nose when its eyes could tell it immediately where Frodo's hiding!'  
  
She was only jerked back when she saw the rider start to bend over, leaning further and further towards Frodo's hiding place, and only then did her reason for being there come to her, and make her mobile again. "You must protect him. Always protect him, he must live, if need be you must give your life for him." Brithandil voice echoed in her ears as she desperately grabbed for the bow that hung on her back.  
  
With shaking hands, she placed a green tailed arrow in her bow, drew it, and aimed for a rock, far from the hiding place of the four hobbits. `I hope this works!' she prayed as she sent the arrow flying with a twang.  
  
The result of her actions was immediate, although not in the way she wanted - escape for the hobbits and for herself as well - for the rider, instead of following the clatter made by the arrow striking stone, turned instead in the direction the twang of the bow had come from. Right towards Mia.  
  
The hobbits, Mai noted, had made good use of the time she had bought them, and were running rapidly away from the rider advancing on her, towards the Brandywine river. Then she turned back to the problem at hand, looking frantically for a way out, a way to escape from the black rider slowly approaching on her. Unfortunately, there was none, for, for an accurate shot at the rock, she had been forced to move into a corner into which there was no route out but for the way she came in, the way the black rider was blocking.  
  
Just when she had given up all hope of escape, the rider turned and galloped quickly off after the departing hobbits. Pulling herself together, she sprinted after the rider, hoping desperately that she wasn't too late.  
  
Mia arrived just in time to watch the hobbits running, only about 50 meters from the river, when the rider sprang out of nowhere on his black mount, and intercepted Frodo, cutting him off from the rest of the group. Quickly, she drew her bow once more, and was ready to fire an arrow deep into the black riders back when she saw Frodo break free from his reach, running frantically towards the rapidly departing barge. She held her breath for long moments as she watched the rider gaining, and then saw Frodo flying from the shore to be caught by his friends on the barge.  
  
As her heart stopped the wild pounding in her chest which it had been doing ever since she had first heard the horses feet, the rider's horse reared in defeat, and a cry of sorrow and pain escaped from the riders throat as it turned about, and flew up the river to be joined by several other black clad horsemen.  
  
She realized with a start that she was separated from her charge by a rapidly flowing river, and with no bridge or boat insight, the options were dismal--- swimming. Sighing deeply, pulled off her shoes, tunic and everything else besides her shirt and breeches, piled her weapons and clothing into a bundle she could carry above the water, and pulled her hair up before starting to wade into the cold September water. `When I said I wanted to go adventuring, I never thought that would involve swimming through a cold river with a fast current, and having to remain drenched for hours later. I mean, isn't adventuring supposed to be clean and easy, where the heroine always wins? Guess Fimbretrel was right when he said the books I read were fake! Ah! I hate it when he's right. But, I guess there's no point in delaying this anymore than I have to!' and with those cheery thoughts, started to swim across the river, using only one arm, as the other was attempting to keep her clothing dry  
  
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Almost across the river, with her clothing and weapons still dry, Mia started to relax. Almost as soon as she had done this, a small wave came at her rapidly without her noticing it, and swept over her head, soaking all the things she had been working hard for almost an hour to keep dry.  
  
In a fuming rage, Mia reached the shore and pulled on her soaking boots, before flying down the river bank, heading for Brandybuck Hall, where Frodo had recently purchased a house, and used to live. She slipped carefully in the gates just after the Frodo and the three hobbits accompanying him, still mad that she would be forced to remain cold and wet (both things she hated) for anymore time.  
  
They didn't stay long in Brandybuck Hall, just enough time for the tired hobbits to catch a little shut eye, before heading out through the gates and into the much feared woods that lay beyond. Mia, eaves dropping on the hobbits once more, had heard that in the Old Forest, strange things happened to people, the trees moved, and often one who went in, would never again come out, and would die in its cold depths.  
  
Of course, being a wood elf, Mia did not believe any of the gossip she heard, `How could trees and wood be bad? They are so kind and peaceful, our brothers and sisters in the world,' and was quite puzzled by the reaction of the hobbits to going into the Old Forest.  
  
Pretty soon, the hobbits, with Mia following discreetly behind, set of into the forest. Following a well-worn trail, they traveled for several days with no consequences whatsoever. It was near the third day, that they came to a river, and the trail seemed to disappear, and all they could see was a little path that led along the river. It wasn't very well used, and didn't to Mia, appear very safe, and so, she was on her guard when the four hobbits all started to feel sleepy at once. Of course, she could not, in any way, believe this just to be coincidence, and so, when they were all asleep besides a large willow tree, she noticed the tree start to pull them in, sort of like it was trying to eat them.  
  
Running forward, she grabbed Frodo's feet, and tried to pull him free from its groping hands, but to no avail, the tree held firm. And, try as she would, Frodo and the other hobbits, would not wake up, no matter what she did to them, finally, just as she was loosing all hope that they would escape, she heard a merry voice singing down the road.  
  
Picking herself up off the forest floor, where she had collapsed scarce moments before, Mia grabbed her bow, ready to draw the bow at any time, should the singer be hostile, and flew in the direction of the singer's voice. Standing in a small clearing, a tall man was singing loudly as he collected wood for his fire.  
  
"Excuse me sir," called Mia, working up her courage, for the only person she had talked to in the past 30 years had been Frodo, "a tree down the river appears to be eating my friends. Will you help us?"  
  
"Ah, my friend the willow, yes, he can cause trouble every so often. I'll get them free in a moment or two, after I sing for a few minutes; it'll let them go more eagerly then it caught them.  
  
And, just before the man who had introduced himself as Tom Bombadil began his song, Mia asked in a quiet voice, "Can you not tell them how you found them? They do not know who I am, and I would prefer it to remain that way, it is easier to protect them without knowing what they are like."  
  
"I understand elf-child, for your destiny is great, and your path is long," Mia was left standing still, while Tom moved on to rescue the hobbits, and all she could think was, `How did he know? How did he know?'  
  
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Okay, well that's done at last! My longest chapter so far, I don't like the ending, but its 2 in the morning, so I think ill come back and fix it later.....and also, I've got a few questions to ask  
  
Whats a lemon? (and not the fruit variety)  
  
How do you do lay out stuff? Like italics, underline, bold, center??  
  
And finally...how come no ones reviewing?? all you need to do is click one little button and type in a few lines about my stuff......pweeassee?? 


	5. Unexpected Allies

*AN* Ahhh!!! I CANNOT seem to get any formatting in my story (, really really disappointing…I haven't uploaded in ages! I know, I know, I'm really ashamed of myself too, I'll try to get more done soon, thanks for the reviews guys! Keep it up (  
  
Oh yah – I need a disclamer don't I? Well, I gotta admit, *sob* why do they make me do this? *sob* I, I, don't own any of the characters, plot or world in the lord of the rings (the bible)  
  
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It was several hours later, when dusk was first beginning to show on the skyline that Mia looked up for the first time, looked up to see herself surrounded by a glade of tall strong pines, completely lost.  
  
Ever since she had run from Tom, his words had echoed in her head, haunting her "I understand elf-child, for your destiny is great, and your path is long,", she had wandered, dazed and confused, throughout the dark paths of the Old Forest.  
  
'The hobbits! How could I have left them? It is my sworn duty to protect them, and I carelessly wandered off because I was scared that everyone knew my future and my duty? What was I thinking?' and in desperate panic, Mia glanced rapidly around the small clearing she was standing in, and finding a light pair of foot prints, which were most assuredly hers, sprinted back through the forest following the bare trail.  
  
She took several wrong turns, rapidly realizing each time that she could no longer see where she was, and, before long, saw a glow of warm yellow light, and the sounds of laughter emanating out of a small cottage on a hill. Creeping up slowly, her legs weak from worry and her long run, she peered into one of the small, slightly dingy window, and saw with relief the four hobbits sitting merrily at a table, with their backs to her.  
  
After scanning the hobbits to check for injuries, and finding none, she turned her attention to the two remaining people sitting around the table. Easily recognizing the tall figure of Tom Bombadill, laughing and talking to Frodo, Mia finally looked at the tall woman sitting next to Tom. She was tall, with long golden hair (not sure bout the hair color….) and an unearthly glow seemed to be coming from her, but more surprising then that, was her wide smile, and beaming eyes focused directly on Mia.  
  
"How'd she know I was here? I'm sure I didn't make any noise!' Mia thought sharply as she jumped back from the window in astonishment, waiting for a warning call to come from the unearthly, beautiful elf, but no such call came. 'Obviously they both know about me and my quest, and are not opposing me. Well, it is useful to know that I have other allies on our dangerous path. If all is as safe as it appears, it would be wise for me to get some sleep, for I am tired, and must be able to keep up to the hobbits tomorrow when they set off on their journey.'  
  
And with these thoughts, Mia slunk back into the forest, facing the front door, where she climbed agilely up into a tall, friendly oak tree, and lay down to sleep, her eyes remaining open, in the way of all elves while sleeping.  
  
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AN – wow, I know that was a really really short chapter, but I'll get another one up in about half an hour, I just need to go eat brekkies! ( Please review everyone, and if you really hate it, flame me, and I'll be able to make some changes to it, thanks for reading ( 


	6. AN

Alright... short little note, and then the next chapter.  
  
So...what does everyone think?? What pairing should I have? I'm pretty indecided, but if she's going to be with Legolas, I'm writing the chapter now where she meets him so....  
  
Anyway, here's some possible pairings:  
  
Mia/Legolas  
  
Mia/Haldir (sorta like this one...)  
  
Mia/Aragorn - steal him from Arwen  
  
Mia/Boromir  
  
Mia/anyone else  
  
Mia/no one  
  
So.... Any suggestions? Opinions? Comments? Please? :D 


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